Proponents of Ojibway park refuse to surrender

Protesters gathered outside city hall Monday evening to, once again, show their disdain for plans to develop property across from Ojibway Nature Reserve.

The group listened to impassioned speeches and remained in good spirits, despite several setbacksin the ongoing efforts tosave the park.

• Ojibway development gets go-ahead from OMB

In early December, Ojibway proponentslost an Ontario Municipal Board hearing that gave the green light to Coco Paving to move ahead with its plans to develop property just across the street from the nature reserve.

Adding insult to injury, officials from Coco Paving intendto sue the leader of the save Ojibway campaignNancy Pancheshanfor the cost of delayed construction and associated legal fees from the lengthy OMB hearing.

Instead of giving up, though, more than 100 protesters gathered outside city hall, callingfor measures to protect the natural habitat within the city.

Those measures include a request to city council to shut down a portion of Matchette Road between Ojibway Nature Centre and Sprucewood Avenue.

Proponents of the nature reserve say there are about 100 endangered and threatened plant and animal species that need protection. They have been fighting the latest development plans on several fronts, to no success.

Coco Paving already has permits to build on the site, which includes plans fora retail plaza.Construction alone, in addition to the spike in traffic levels, will threaten wildlife and plant species in the park, according to Pancheshan, one of the fiercest voices against this development.

She refers to Coco's threat of a lawsuit as an intimidation tactic.

"If Coco Paving and other companies are allowed this,we are slowly losing the people's democratic right," she told CBC News. "I can see if, you know, I had caused delay, but I'm trying to protect the park and had clear issue on the cumulative effects. It's very frustrating."

Pancheshan says she's looking into appealing the OMB decision, while she and other protesters consider other ways to protect the nature reserve.

Calls to Coco Paving and the company lawyers were not returned.